Badhusha Recipe

     I have not been a very big fan of Badhusha from anytime back. It is just that I get curious about its name everytime :P After coming to USA, deprived of good readymade sweets and savouries from sweet shops, I started to try each sweet and so I landed in here, with the making of Badhusha. The toughest part is standing patiently near hot oil, gazing dreamily at the badhushas to get ready soon, while they have just started to cook :P 

Prep Time: 15 mins || Cook Time: 35 mins || Yields: 12 || Category: Sweet

Ingredients:

1. Maida - 1 & 3/4 cups
2. Cooking oil - sufficient to fry
3. Melted butter - 1/4 cup + 2tbsp
4. Salt - a pinch
5. Curd - 1 tbsp
6. Sodium bi-carbonate (cooking soda) - 1 tsp
7. Sugar - 2 cups
8. Cardamom powder - 2 tsp
9. Saffron - few strands (optional)
10. Water - as required
11. Lemon - 1

Method:
1. Mix melted butter, 1 tbsp of cooking oil, cookign soda, curd, a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of sugar (if desired) into a smooth paste.

2. To this add maida and mix to form a crumbly mixture initially and then add water little by little to knead into a smooth non sitcky dough.

3. Divide the dough into equal sized rounds and shape them into traditional badhushas or the ones with swirls. For the normal badhushas, take a round and press it gently and make a dent in the center. For the swirl rimmed badhushas, press the round gently, pull the rim outwards, pinching it slightly fold it inwards and repeat the process till the entire rim has been made.

4. For making sugar syrup, in a container add sugar and pour water just sufficient to immerse it and keep stirring in medium flame. When bubbles arise and the syrup thickens, check for one string consistency (the syrup when taken in between two fingers should leave a fine string which should last without getting cut). At this stage, add cardamom powder, saffron and switch off the flame. Add lemon juice and stir well to avoid crystallization of the syrup.

5. Meantime heat oil and test the hotness by dropping a pinch of the dough, which should immediately rise above. At this stage, swtich off the flame and add the badushas one by one with enough distance between them. Let them get cooked for a min. Then flip the badushas and continue cooking until the bubbles and the noise subside.

6. Switch on the flame (after the bubbles and noise subside) keeping it in medium, cook all the badushas with intermediate stirring and flipping to ensure uniform light brown colour and drain them in a tissue.

7. Transfer the badushas to the sugar syrup. If the syrup is cool, just warm it up a little so that the syrup will be absorbed into the badushas well. Rest for about 10-15 mins so that the sugar syrup gets thickened on the badhushas.

Suggestions:

• Can also add a cashew/badam or any nut into the dough balls before shaping them.
• If desired, can add rose essence or any fruit essence for flavour.
• Adding saffron is optional.
• It is better to cook the badhushas soon after they are shaped. Other wise they get dry and form cracks.
• If there are many cracks in the shaped badhusha, they might tend to break when frying in oil.
• In the swirl shaped badhushas, the outer rim will be slightly crisp and the inner part will be soft, unlike the normal badhusha which will be soft throughout.
• Tastes soft and yummy after a day, absorbing all the flavours. 
• Need not refrigerate.